What Does The Lely Community Development District Do?

The Lely Community Development District is a local, special-purpose government entity authorized by Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes as amended, and established on January 10, 1991 by adoption of Rule 42K-1.001, F.A.C. by the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission.

CDD organization

The Lely Community Development District is organized similar to other local governments in Florida, in that its Board of Supervisors consists of five members, who are qualified voters and residents of Lely, and hold terms of four years. The Supervisors are public officials elected at the general election by the residents of Lely. The supervisors have staggered terms, therefore every two years either two or three Supervisors are elected at the end of their terms. Any vacancies occurring before the General Election, are filled through appointment by the board.

The Board establishes the policy of the District in accordance with Florida law. The Board, by law, must hire a District Manager and District Counsel. The Board, through review of advertised Requests for Qualifications, ranks and selects a District Engineer to perform the engineering needs of the District. District Manager and the District Attorney administer the operations of the District and implement the Board’s policies and contracts. CDDs are not unlike other forms of local government, such as cities and counties, however, similarly to other special taxing districts, their powers are limited solely to the provision of infrastructure and services for master planned developments. For further information please contact Florida Commissions on Ethics www.ethics.state.fl.us

The District Manager’s responsibilities include:

  • Preparation and submittal of a proposed operations and maintenance budgets for Board review and action.
  • Preparation of contract specifications for District operations, including water management, street lighting, landscaping and irrigation.
  • File all required forms and documents with state and local agencies.
  • Attend all Board of Supervisor meetings and implement the policies of the Board.
  • Additional duties as directed by the Board.

CDD Services

The District is funded to operate and maintain the community infrastructure including water management, street lighting, landscaping, and irrigation. Service levels for the CDD services are directly related to the annual operating budget. During the fiscal year staff monitors the budget to maintain operational efficiency. During the annual budget process staff reviews what was budgeted against what was actually spent, and recommends increases and decreases as appropriate. The Board of Supervisors, with input from the public, reviews staff’s proposals and has the final decision for the budget constraints that will determine the levels of service. The budget process typically begins in the spring and concludes in the summer, after a public hearing to ensure resident participation.

Water Management

the District uses a contractor for the control of unwanted vegetation within the water management system and wetland areas which would otherwise impede the water flow and become unsightly.

Street Lighting

the District provides for the costs of bulk electric service for street lights along District roads. Lighting fixtures maintenance and holiday lighting services are handled for the District by qualified contractors.

Landscaping

The District currently maintains green areas, which includes basic landscaping maintenance, tree trimming as well as renovations and material replacements.

Irrigation

The District supplies irrigation water to the community through a well field, holding pond and pump station system which distributes the water through a network of delivery lines. Costs of this service include electric, repairs and maintenance.